In a perfect world, houses have space to dedicate solely to this hard working area: the mudroom. The reality is that many of the houses people live in were built in a time when mudrooms were not even an item on the wish list.
When the space isn’t there, it’s the perfect time to get clever. Function and efficiency in homes is a priority when it comes to designing so I’m always working overtime to get all the good things into a house.
When all you have is a closet:
One of my favorite ideas is to remove closet and create a transition space from the front door to the house. This provides a place to remove shoes without having to walk in to the living room or balance on one foot. Since this area is seen first, adding wall detail like shiplap or board and batten creates a memorable first impression.
Tip: If you have a wall with some space on the floor you can add in a small bench or basket for shoe storage.
When you have a good amount of space:
Consider adding hooks and a bench. If you have a 5 ft. by 5 ft. space then you can create your own seating space. Here we used the wall just inside the house from the garage. Its functional as a mudroom space but since it is part of the kitchen and dining area it also offers additional seating for guests or conversation during meal prep. Remove the coats and bags…add a couple throw pillows and a utility space becomes a cozy landing spot.
New life to an old space:
Sometimes there are spaces designated for a use that really aren’t so useful. When deciding to repurpose spaces you can weigh which one is more valuable to a home buyer. When I came across this porch it made immediate sense to make it a mudroom. The house had no space anywhere else to create one and in our climate this porch was only being used maybe three months of the year. Now this is the perfect access from the garage to the house with the option to access the backyard as well. Now what was once an afterthought has become the functional zone that every busy household needs.
No matter what type of space you are working with a mudroom space can be achieved. It just takes a little creativity and some space planning to make it a reality.
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Amber
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